Influence of Cultivar and Seasonal Growing Environment on Growth and Postharvest Characteristics of Single-shoot Pot Rose Plants

Abstract

Rooted liners of pot rose (Rosa L.) cultivars Meiferjac, Meigagul, Meighivon, Meishulo, Ruijef, Ruidodo, and Ruirosora were used to study the influence of cultivar and seasonal growing environment on growth and postharvest performance. Single-shoot plants were grown in controlled environment chambers simulating summer (30 °C day/21 °C night cycle with a 14-hour photoperiod) and winter (21 °C day/16 °C night cycle with a 10-hour photoperiod) greenhouse growing conditions. At flower developmental stage 2 (showing color, calyx reflexing, no petals reflexed), the plants were placed in a continuously lighted simulated interior evaluation room at 21 ± 1 °C under 15 μmol·m-2·s-1 photosynthetic photon flux from cool-white fluorescent lamps for postharvest evaluations. Plants had quicker flowering, smaller flower diameter, more compact growth, and smaller leaf area when grown under the summer environment compared to the winter environment. Most cultivars exhibited greater flower longevity on summer-grown plants when compared to winter-grown ones. `Ruirosora' did not exhibit this difference due to exceptional longevity on winter-grown plants. Also, the use of single-shoot plants was shown to be a potentially useful way to increase replication in small growing environments such as growth chambers.